Sunday, December 27, 2009

I had a splendid time between 10 and 11 making this harbinger of spring. Silk ribbon stitching with yarn flower and a houndstooth check I used in a dye demo at Manistee rug school (what to do with black and white wool.) The stitch around the frame was more dyed spin off. I'm working that stuff and how! Just when I'm looking for that special little something, there it is. Speaking of something special do you see a little viagra seeking freudian message in that flower? ( but what message is it ?)

Funny how taking a photo of something makes things all too apparent. I think some strategically placed french knots might do the trick.

Today a trip to the Patch netted a wonderful bouquet of 20 CASHMERE sweaters. It was the "stuff a bag for $20 sale". If you want to be nice to me you could say I've made a great purchase.

I like to use these sweaters to sleep in or play outside in until they are no longer viable. Single knit cashmere is very prone to sudden holes with little or no provocation. When they get ratty I like to wash them roughly and cut them up for hooking projects. They dye beautifully.

Dyeing Tip

When dyeing sweaters be aware it takes more dye than when you use wool flannel. My guess and it is only a guess; there is a more open way about the wool when spun and knit, more fibres exposed to be dyed. Although our dyes for rug hooking are all protein dyes, you won't get the same colour pound for pound and measure for measure using yarn, woven wool flannel for rug hooking, silk or nylon. Your results will vary. Something like having pets or kids or a life.

Friday, December 25, 2009

We had an event filled day, we filled a cube van with all of Thea's belongings and we are moving her to London tomorrow. We did have a celebratory breakfast with presents and square sausage and a good Christmas Dinner.

As we settled in to a good old episode of Bonanza and I felt like making something, probably a palovian response after 24 days!

I received some magazine holders but they were very plain and as I was watching Hoss toss some hay into the barn I was thinking quickly about how I might enliven them, paper, fabric, wool, strips, ohhhh aha ! I could hook through the tiny diamond shapes.

And I did.

Have a great day tomorrow, think of me running up and down a flight of steps. A ZILLION times!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Today I got lots of niggly things done ! The house is clean, grocery store shelves are bare, dog is long, long, long walked, the laundry put away.

I did sit down after dinner and was able to hook for an hour or so.

I've started making corrections, but what I need a a bit of time during the day for that aka LIGHT.

I can get into so much trouble using these little strips, I just keep cramming them in.

BTW This image is reversed, a mirror image so if you are comparing it to yesterday's work you will see it is flipped, as well as being flashed out. The staff photographer was out.

Speaking of using little strips... I'm known for creating an optical illusion, hooking portraits with very wide cuts, hand torn or number 12 cut. Even when people are looking directly at my rugs they will deny they are wide cut because their brain won't compute detail and wide.

I don't know how this rumour got started but I'm here to bust it!

If you are using a wide cut the wool can do so much more work for you. You can just edit down to the most important details about an area you are conceptualizing. Its shape,value, temperature and saturation. Then I just plug in what I believe to be the fitting wool.

I need to maintain my wool choices that will read for certain values, for instance, if I'm choosing value #7 to be my darkest value, every time I see a dark dark on my visual aid I know I must use value seven THOUGH it could be any colour , temperature or saturation, it must read as #7.

I always start at the eyes, not so they will be looking at me and encouraging me but because all the values found in a face are present in and around the eyes. This sets up my key for the map of face reading.

Speaking of face reading, try looking soulfully into the eyes of someone important to you. There is NOTHING more valuable to a human being than to be really noticed by another.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Man I started the day at 5AM and hurt my back, hey who was stabbing me ? It sure feels that way!

Then I got a migraine and yuck.

S all I did tonight was sit quiet and still and hook my 20 in 10 project.

I can see by the pictures I need to replace some of my lights with mediums in the forest. And brighten and darken the sky, I'm using scraps so it is dicey sometimes finding the right stuff, especially if I don't want to leave my couch.

Someone recently asked me about designing, the best advice I can give you ... just keep doing it. You need to practise to refine. There are plenty of books to study about what to try or work towards. There are rules and they are remarkably part of what will appeal to most, it is so instinctual. You just need to release and be able to create, then to go to the next level and critique according to the principles and elements of design. But you have to DO something and anything made is better than a big fat nothing!

Stop worrying ! Go out for a walk instead, you'll be surprised how things will work out as you do.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Posed on an orangePosed on the treeToday I was traveling, delivering Anne her cutter in Stayner, looking for pants in Collingwood, ever wonder why you only see me from the waist up ? Searching for curry paste and eating Thai at The Siamese Gecko.

I accomplished it all with the help of the amazing Nature Boy.

When I got home my dyed silk ribbon made me make. I dyed it in my frying pan and it is lovely to hook with too, I just carry a strip under it as I hook to plump it up.

Tonight I sewed it in a spiral around a circle of wool. Looks like the world's most colourful cabbage.

Hint for Life : Be spontaneous.

Hint for hooking: Why the hell not? Just because it hasn't been done yet doesn't mean it shouldn't.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Today I created late. JUst a slight amount of confusion, merely lasted 4 hours instead of 20, life is simmering down!

I had dyed a ombre roving with slate blue running into golden pear into maple syrup all pro chem dyes. I used a dip dyed strip to sew them together.

That simple !

I like the slight wonkyness of each ball and the colour gradation, it is so restful to look at that, my eye feels delightfully satisfied.

Today I was never more thankful, a good friend is suffering from a dreadful event in her life, what a brave and amazing woman she is, like a superwoman... so what was I thankful about ?

She asked for wool to dye! She's starting to come back to herself. That was a terrific call I got.

I was so glad I gifted it. At last I could do something to help. Do you know anyway you could help someone?

Living is a risky sort of business... so is hooking a rug, how are things going to turn out ? There are no guarantees. But there is, as I've mentioned, a rich forest of wonder to dwell in no matter what we are doing. You could be living as Hansel and Gretel or The Seven Dwarves. Maybe you are in the Secret Garden, or with Grizzly Adams. Are you Robin Hood or Yogi Bear ?

When I'm teaching people about designing I tell them, YOU have an amazing story that only you can tell. Whenever you make anything you are telling your story,whether you intend to or not. Making things with intention is important, tell the story you want to tell, then let that story speak to and inspire others as they read it. Its meaning will grow and expand through each person that views it. You will spark others. May you create a conflagration, an inferno even. Come on baby ! Light my fire ! I've got plenty of kindling ready to blaze !

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Here's my version of a snow hooker. Kinda beaky she's had to stand out in the crowd by using sno cone glow tones. She's got it going on.

She's made of roving, dry felted, take that anyway you wish, her handbag holds the trick of her trade. She's got balls too! (I see a theme.)

Though thin and wiry once her arms are wrapped around you, sweet bliss is found in her wooly bosom.

Hint for the day:

Be cool about it, nothing goes smooth when you are all worked up.

Set your boundaries, then relax.

Rug hint: Drawing your own pattern or adding to one ?

You better set firm boundaries here too. Make sure you are leaving enough room to finish your rug. It's what holds it all together. The edge... more than a pizza from Pizza hut...keep well back when you hook, leave plenty of room between the last row of hooking and the edge of the backing.

There are lots of was to finish rugs but be sure to steam it first then let it dry completelybefore you proceed to start to commence to finish.

Yes that is a great question and last night I meant to post an explanation of what one was.

Wikipedia says:

An ogee (pronounced /oʊˈdʒiː/ or /ˈoʊdʒiː/) is a curve, shaped somewhat like an S, consisting of twoarcs that curve in opposite senses, so that the ends are parallel.

It looks like this from TrueUp , if you like fabric, that's a blog worth going to look at.

Hooking with sweaters, that is my happy place, they are so soft underfoot and can be prodded, they make great texturey elements, fluffy clouds, sheep, adds to bark on trees, well I could go on and on but suffice it to say, as many sweaters as there are, that how many effects you can get. Bring me your shrunken masses of felted up sweaters...... I'll shelter them!

Monday, December 14, 2009

Tonight I made a garland with a twine twister Michele gave me a few years ago.I made it of silk Barbie had donated to my creative cause. I added Indian paper from Curry's, but unfortunately the glue would not stick them so they will be sewn on tomorrow !I've had quite a day but I've almost got #2 ready to go to college. My oh my ! Just a few more errands to go.Thanks for all your encouraging commentary! Tonight I needed it!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Well it was not raining gumdrop or lemon drops yesterday but I do feel some definite magic was in the air.Caryn and Mark made and brought to me the most wonderful, beautiful cutter in the world.They are so thoughtful and amazing to give me this gift of appreciation. I am gobsmacked.What a blessing they are and it is so beautiful too. I have one of their first Honey Do Cutters and it is the best I've ever tried and I've tried them all.Now I have this splendid one. I am one happy hooker! On top of that Caryn generously gave me an energy treatment. She says we go through life collecting these lumps of junk on us and they need to be cleared off or we slow right down from the weight of them! That really explains alot! I feel years lighter! We had a great visit and it was a pleasure for me to realize I have such people in my life.I give out to others a lot and it is a great feeling to receive. Isn't it PRETTY ?I recently had a friend I valued highly decide not to continue our relationship. As devastating and horrible as that felt it has made me appreciate those I have all the more. Thank you my friends. My hint for today: Do unto others as you would have others do unto to you. Loving kindness I think is the way to roll in life.If you can't be loving you can be kind, if you can't be kind you can be loving. We are all humans just having our experience here on earth and all deserve respect and understanding and probably gifts.

Here is my gift to you Jean... I DID not finish my 20in10 challenge, you are granted an extension until Tuesday night... I'll see you in the Welcome Mat then. LOL!!! The best laid plans..

PS. We just noticed we have BUGS on our wee birch bark tree, into the freezer it went ( not so kind to bugs am I ?) I hope they are not bugs who grow 1000xs their size when frozen, or the kind that devour wool or hookers or nature boys or hazel eyed beautiful girls or siamese (one reader would like that event, eh Lyn!) If there is no report tomorrow about what was made, well, you know what happened. Think of me when you create, that's all I ask. I leave my purple cutter to Michele, the Queen of the Purps.

Last week Nature Boy (AKA Honey) brought home a hobo pot full of birch bark chits he manufactures for "talking tickets" at campfire sessions at work The Institute for Outdoor Education and Environmental Studies). Kids get to say what they liked the best about their experience and throw their talking ticket into the fire, they send their positive experiences and thoughts up to the Great Spirit. He said to see what I could do with them.After thinking about this battered and blackened pot a full of birch bark for over a week,I finally thought of what to do ! Then I had to think of HOW to do it ! Believe it or not I saw my EXACT idea downtown with many refinements at a great store called Home By Design, it is unbelievable a store exists like this in Wiarton. SWANK !That did not deter me at all at making my "rough " version.First Nature Boy constructed a cardboard cone for me, thank goodness as my brain doesn't really work that way too well. I can do it but he can DO it faster and better. We covered it with paper and I tried to use a couple of adhering technologies and finally gave in and used the glue gun. Well.... it worked and very effectively.Not sure what to do at the top we hit upon this solution and it suits us very well.Things I might do differently ? I like the way the upper "branches" stick out. I would plump out the bottom layer by first applying a row of round tooth picks or using birch bark that was curling outward naturally. Some of the bark was very thick, I would peel these into layers.I love the look of the birch!Thank you so much for all your comments, I found them wonderfully encouraging, I hope they continue !

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Today I had a special visitor and it was not what you are thinking !Caryn came to visit!! She brought GIFTS which you will see tomorrow, they were AMAZING and incredible, right now at this moment I am the only one on the planet with this particular passionate purple item !!! Mysterious eh ?

Now back to our topic of this evening... what WE made today.We spent uncountable HOURS fixing my button creation, but I think we are almost there, will post picture of it hanging tomorrow.As you can see I'm holding some LOVELY felted balls. Caryn's is on the left hand side, mine is on the right.

I just took another picture of Caryn's so it might show up better, it's very nicely made. I believe there might have been so touch of tomfoolery afoot !We use rough roving and formed a ball with dry felting needles. Then we coated them with delicious colours and began to use more of that marvy spin off yarn to embellish and titivate them.We love them and hope you do too.A comment might be encouraging and nice to receive about now.Thank you

Friday, December 11, 2009

I love buttons ! Once finished I realized this is a work in progress as I intend to hang this in the window and my wire was too fine to hold the weight of the buttons. Tomorrow I'll show you how I fixed this.. granted if I think of a way. I need heavy metal LOL.

I'm late posting because I spent a great part of the day getting ready for the 25th. I'm practically done ! SHOPPING ... ARRGHI also finally picked up RHM because my gratis copy still hasn't arrived and people were asking me questions I couldn't answer because I didn't know.

Hint for the day:Things not turning out the way you planned or thought they would ? Take it on the chin. This is what the process of creation is about. For goodness sake, this is what life is about. Pablo Picasso said I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.Yes, that is the way it works for me too, not comparing myself to him in any way but you just have to dive right into what you are doing. You might get stopped short but are you gonna let that keep you from living and creating to the fullest ?I hope not. Adjust your set and sally forth, the answer to everything you might imagine is YES !

Thursday, December 10, 2009

The news is we are all under some heavy weather warnings!The good news is I'm warm and cozy and still have electricity.

Some other good news... I finally took today with a friendly competitive push from/ with Jean to get started on my September Challenge on The WElcome Mat, the 2010 Rug, 20 colours in 10 inches. If you want to know more about this or the Welcome Mat , please write me.It a number less than three cut. OY!Here it is with it's inspiration a slice of a photo taken by my friend Heather with my camera about 2 years ago.Tony for the first time in my life I think I need one of your fancy lights for the hard of seeing ! LOLAll leftover strips on the edge of another rug I did ! This will probably take me a day or two more , hope you don't mind. I had a LOVELY time hooking. I had the day off because hook-in was cancelled.

My hint for the day to day comes from the AMAZING Robert Genn..Someone asked him in 2007 to be their personal "art " trainer.Here is what he suggested in reply. To see the whole letter, he sends out letters twice weekly to subscribers, go here

It's no surprise when people ask me to be their personal coach. It happened again only yesterday. The lady was talking art, not abs. Come to think of it, a lot of us buffs are in demand. So I was thinking of all the inefficiency and disappointment that must ride on Ralph and Alberto's contract. And while I sort of like the idea of tailored guidance, I rather wanted to offer a more general workout. A sort of "Jenny Craig Success Course of the Arts." Mine's free. Here it is:

Find a sanctuary where you can comfortably work. Dedicate at least two hours a day to your art.Have more than enough equipment and supplies.Set short- and long-term goals and keep track of progress. Think of your work as exercise, not championship play.Explore series development and exhaust personal themes.Work alone with the benefit of books and perhaps tapes.Replace passive consumption with creative production. Use your own intuition and master your technology.Feel the joy of personal, self-generated sweat.Fall in love with your own working processes.Be forever on the lookout for the advent of style.Try to be your own person and claim your rights.Don't bother setting yourself up for rejection.Don't swing too wildly and damage the well-being of others.Don't jump into the ring until you're feeling fit.

If you can stick with this regimen for a couple of months, I can pretty well guarantee your progress. If not, then at least the exercise will let you know the job's not for you. We all have the potential to be slim, barrel-chested, rich, satisfied or evolved.

Best regards,

Robert

PS: "The man who goes alone can start today." (Henry David Thoreau)

Esoterica: "I decided to learn everything I could about beans," said Thoreau when he moved to Walden Pond. Artists looking for inspiration can't go far wrong with Thoreau. Self-reliance, there's your personal coach. I've noticed most of the real success stories happen without benefit of Albertos. We all need to find the character within ourselves to overcome our weaknesses and build our muscles.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Remember in school when we made those God's eyes ? I made one with my toothpick knitting needles and then I felted it with soap and agitation.When it was dry I slipped the toothpicks out and then dry felted it onto some green wool, trimmed it with a purple selvedge that also made the hanging loop and did some stitching on it. Then I added an old metal button.That's all she wrote.Today's hint:Be good to yourself, try to do something every day that fills you up. If you only have 5 or 10 minutes don't do something you'd rather be doing for 2 hours and end up frustrated by having to stop. Fit your self gift to your time budget. Don't be constrained by guidelines or expectations. Do what you can for you. This time of year we find it so easy to look after everyone else. How about you ? You deserve it.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

OH If only I had made the tree trunk weave right up inside of those colourful branches.
I think I'll make another and create that optical play.
As soon as I had it irrevocably felted that's when I noticed my chance to make something really exciting... DOH !
Instead I was busy executing my plan of ACTION. Too busy to see what else COULD or MIGHT transpire ! LOL
That's what happens when you get fixated on one idea, it doesn't leave room for another to develop as you go and grow.
So my lovely little tree will stand as a testimony to what might have been.

I like making these little door hangers. This one is a selvedge edge of a rapunzel, 2 yds long.
I pointed the top end with scissors and stuck it up and began felting, folding over each way, back and forth increasing the width of the branches each time. I then added a trunk (next time I'll fix it up, you can bet on that)
I backed it with another piece of wool with a reinforcing band of heavy wool at the top between the two, trimmed the piece with noro and some of my hand dyed yarn that I crotched, sewed on some vintage buttons with some of my spin offs from Putney,Vermont and I was done.

Here is my hint for the day:
it is good to have some sort of receptacle to put your hooking tools in. I suggest people have a clam shell glasses case near by so when the phone rings or you have to get the mail youplace your scissors and hook right in there. This saves them from disappearing down the couch cracks, rolling under the end table or being chewed while you aren't looking (those pesky teething husbands) You will always know where your tools are among your strips or in your bag or on your couch!

Monday, December 7, 2009

Tonight it took three of us to create this offering. Thea had off cuts from a quilt she is building, they happened to look like a saw tooth, a very pretty one.Honey sewed bags from the lining of a skirt and added Thea's saw tooth to the top.I added a silk edge on the embellisher.All recycled and all involved. Best yet Honey volunteered to be the official photographer at Wandaworks ! What could be better ?

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Tiny little time waster ! I enjoyed every second.I french knotted, I knit 1-cord with toothpicks, life was near about perfect !I used some material you gave me Joanne for the tree base.Thanks for checking in!

Friday, December 4, 2009

Made while in a waiting room with limited resources, this teeny tree has two sides. It is about 2" long.I hope to decorate it tomorrow and try some other trees too.I hope you can create something this week-end.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

First I saw this owl in an ad in Selvedge, then several months later on the cover of Create and Decorate and lately in the flyer for Crate and Barrel.These were cotton made and the patterns of the materials did add to the merriment !I used special wool I was given by Michele, a piece of wool from a gift tie up made the irises and I stuffed it with wool roving I got from a person in Hamilton.The thread I used is tapestry yarn hand dyed by Maggie McLea.Surprisingly it took the better part of 2 hours to make !